Help me out with some Griffin upgrades

I bought an old Griffin off EBay for 12 bucks. I want to upgrade the barrel. I read that Spyder barrels will work with it. I don't think they do. I have 2 Spyders and none of the barrels I bought for those fit correctly...including my J&J. The threads may be the same but the part of the barrel before the thread is too long. It doesn't insert into the gun all the way for the threads to match up. I've been surfing the net all night looking for ACI upgrades specifically for the Griffin. Apparently it's way too old and outdated for anyone to have upgrades for it. Somebody help me out! Where can I get an aftermarket barrel for this gun!?! And will aftermarket Spyder bolts work with it? Any info would be appreciated.

No, Spyder barrels won't work. ACI threaded barrels will. You can also use Tippman A5/Prolite barrels. I have a Griffin but really haven't done anything to it...it uses the F4 frame, so don't go looking for a new frame, they won't fit. You'll pretty much have to modify the stock parts. Just from looking at the valve I'd say you might be able to install an aftermarket valve made for a spyder...but I haven't done it so don't take it as gospel.

Hey Mac, I got another question for you. I'm not too familiar with Tippmanns. I'm seeing a lot of barrels for sale for the "Tippmann A5" but not for the "Tippmann A5/Prolite". I'm assuming that there is no difference between these two terms. ??? Where does the term "Prolite" come from? Should I ONLY be looking for the "A5/Prolite" barrels?

So basically A5s and Prolites are just two different models, right? Is the A5 an older model too or are they still in production? AND, if they ARE still in production, have the threads for that barrel changed at all over the years?

Just trying to figure out if the A5 barrels I'm seeing for sale on EBay will fit my Griffin.

A5s came several years after Prolites, although Prolites are still used as rentals at a lot of fields because they are nearly impossible to break.

I do not know what threads a Griffin has, but if it is the same threads as an F4 Illustrator, you should be able to use any barrel that is for a Tippmann A5, Pro-lite, Carbine, or Pro/Carbine.

I would recommend a Lapco Bigshot with A-5 threads or a J&J barrel. There really aren't many other upgrades specifically for a griffin out there. You may be able to find a double trigger frame from an F4, although that could be expensive.

Probably the best thing you can do is put a regulator on your griffin, which will provide more control over velocity. I have a Tippmann ProShop regulator on my F4. That reg works fine as it is essentially the same as a PMI Regulator but has different branding and colors.

I won't be too bent outta shape if I can't find anything else to upgrade it with. I definately wanted to get a longer barrel though and now I know what to look for. I like the idea of a regulator too. It's really just a project gun for me. It was pretty cheap so I bought. You shoulda' seen the look on my wife's face when I told her I bought another "project" paintball gun.

the Carbine, ProLite and A5 all use the same barrels...and will fit the F4. There is a problem with using them (sometimes) as there is a unique feature called the "tippman ridge" on the inside of the barrel. It's a small step in the bore right where the ball sits, to keep the ball from rolling down the barrel. If you get a barrel that is Tippman threaded rather than ACI/F4/Griffin threads you might have to remove the ridge. I got a J&J ceramic in tippmand threads, removed the ridge and have had excellent resutls. IT's my favorite barrel to use on my F4's.

I dunno about the tippmann ridge, but I once bought an F4-threaded J&J that didn't work in my pro/carbine because it wouldn't screw in all the way and the bolt would get stuck when it fired.

If this is your "project gun", one thing to do would be to take the entire gun apart and clean/polish/oil all the moving parts and oil all the o-rings. But, make sure that you have a schematic, don't lose the small parts, and pay careful attention to how everything goes back together!

Well crap. I ordered a J&J for the A5 last night from Firstcall. Let's hope that my "Tippmann to ACI" conversion works better than your "ACI to Tippman" did......or I'm out a few bucks.

Thanks for the tips. Yeah, I plan on tearing down the gun, cleaning and polishing the guts and replacing anything that looks worn out. I've gotten pretty familar with my local Ace Hardware. You can find A LOT of replacement parts at the good ol' hardware store. Springs, o-rings, nuts and screws, etc. Usually for cheaper than you'd find them on the web.

I got a tippman Prolite/Carbine barrel for my F4 years ago...works great. Still my favorite barrel for rec ball paint. The ridge is to hold the ball on a tippman...so it doesn't roll down the barrel. You don't need it on the ACI markers.